ing. We must therefore seek elsewhere for the reason which prevented Baucher from riding in the open.

Baucher being a reformer and consequently a seeker, had no pleasure in leaving a horse to himself, as is done when hacking. He devoted all his life to his work in order to show us the way, which was the only thing that interested him, Riding without working was only a weariness to him. Therefore he never studied the character or manner of riding a hack or hunter ; or the enormous difference between a " closed-in " school horse and an ordinary saddle horse, which is left a good deal to himself.

As he did not ride outside, he never rode his horses at fast paces, which was wrong ; because a horse passes very easily from an extended position to the rassembler. Full speed, provided that it is not too prolonged, has the advantage of allowing the animal to extend himself, and consequently to obtain rest, by changing his equilibrium, while at the same time it develops and strengthens his lungs.

The chief fault of Baucher was that of keeping his horse constantly "enclosed." I think we ought to observe the principle of letting the horse extend himself after each concession, during breaking. Finally, I maintain that as a general rule during breaking, we should accustom our mount to extend himself from time to time at the walk, trot and canter. Every form of equilibrium and position ends by fatiguing the horse. If we change one of them, the horse will return to it with pleasure.

As a last observation I may remark that on page 103 of the fourteenth edition of his book, Baucher repeats a conversation which he had at Berlin with some German officers who were supposed to know something about horses. They said : " We like to have our horses in front of the hand." Baucher replied : " I like mine to be behind the hand, and in front of the legs."